No

I'm not looking for predictions, just what you personally want. I like MLS as is, I like it as a feeder league, where players (for the most part) do not have overinflated egos and seem by all accounts to be real people. And I like seeing our players "graduate" and prove themselves in the top leagues. MLS has a very homey feel to it right now and I think that if/when MLS becomes a top league, many of us will fondly look back upon this time period as the 'good old days'.

I just want to be MLS. It's already a top league. It's better than a lot of minor European leagues and a lot of leagues in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America (outside of Mexico, Argentina and Brazil).

As long as I can watch competitive, professional soccer without leaving the country, I'm happy. I loved the hell out of watching the Minnesota Thunder play and more often than not that was some damn poor soccer. But it was mine, dammit.

As long as I can watch competitive, professional soccer without leaving the country, I'm happy. I loved the hell out of watching the Minnesota Thunder play and more often than not that was some damn poor soccer. But it was mine, dammit.

I'm not looking for predictions, just what you personally want. I like MLS as is, I like it as a feeder league, where players (for the most part) do not have overinflated egos and seem by all accounts to be real people. And I like seeing our players "graduate" and prove themselves in the top leagues. MLS has a very homey feel to it right now and I think that if/when MLS becomes a top league, many of us will fondly look back upon this time period as the 'good old days'.

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I want to see MLS eventually compete with the EPL. All of the rest of the USA's major sports are the best leagues in the world in their respective sports, so soccer's league stateside should be no different.

MLS has to reach that standard if it wants to be considered a serious league among casual sports fans in this country.

Also, we're Americans at the very least. Ask yourselves: do we really want to be the best .... or simply also-rans?

I want the league to succeed and to continue to improve... what others eventually rank it in comparison to other leagues in the world doesnt matter to me. This is my league and I've enjoyed it since it launched anything from that day on was just bonus. I do not require the blessings or recognition from fans of other leagues to validate something I already enjoy.

I'm not looking for predictions, just what you personally want. I like MLS as is, I like it as a feeder league, where players (for the most part) do not have overinflated egos and seem by all accounts to be real people. And I like seeing our players "graduate" and prove themselves in the top leagues. MLS has a very homey feel to it right now and I think that if/when MLS becomes a top league, many of us will fondly look back upon this time period as the 'good old days'.

What y'all think?

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I'd like to reach a point where our top American players want to stay here rather than leave.

What the hell is the "good old days" supposed to mean anyway? Is that supposed to be the time where I watched the Wizards play in a giant football stadium where I got the tickets by buying 10 items at Price Chopper? We still have teams in terrible situations (NE, Chivas, etc) that I'd like to see fixed before anointing this time as the "good old days".

I just want to be MLS. It's already a top league. It's better than a lot of minor European leagues and a lot of leagues in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America (outside of Mexico, Argentina and Brazil).

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Based on what?

Chile is pretty decent, even outside the top 3 teams (not as balanced as the other 3 LA leagues you mentioned for sure).

But in Copa Libertadores, Chile is better than Mexico (at least since the rule that the Mexican Champions must play in the CCL).

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That's fine. I don't comprehend this thread either, but I still post in it to bump my count. Anyway joking aside, bring on the likes of Colo Colo, the U and Huachipato. We can give them a taste of I Believe. And some.

I'd like it if high schoolers and younger had a better chance of becoming rich and famous here by playing soccer. If MLS became elite, there could be a significant number of MLS games with USMNT players playing against each other rather than just occasional matchups like Dempsey trying to score against Howard or Guzan in England. The discussion about not playing WCQs in the west because it's a longer trip for players coming from European clubs wouldn't be an issue if most USMNT players could play in MLS and still face good competition.

I think at some point we'll be considered a 'top league'. The numbers of fans seem to be growing by the year, and at some point the salaries and overall talent should rise as well. Whether it takes 10, 20, or 50 years, I believe it'll happen.

I'm perfectly happy where we're at, and I love having a local team I can support. It's especially nice that it's affordable. I like being able to take people to games that are on the fence, and have them become fans.

Yes and no. I'm not down with the belief that being a major league as such would imply us just bringing all the big names here on massive salaries. I do, however, want us to be a major league based on the depth and quality of local talent. In my mind, it has little to do with how many superstars we can get here (and while they're fun, they're really fairly annoying) and much more to do with how good of an international squad we can create from primarily MLS players.

I want Americans to be great at soccer. Not just great at importing the best here.

Yes and no. I'm not down with the belief that being a major league as such would imply us just bringing all the big names here on massive salaries. I do, however, want us to be a major league based on the depth and quality of local talent. In my mind, it has little to do with how many superstars we can get here (and while they're fun, they're really fairly annoying) and much more to do with how good of an international squad we can create from primarily MLS players.

I want Americans to be great at soccer. Not just great at importing the best here.

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Absolutely. And one of the great things about MLS is that the league can emphasize local talent via the salary cap and homegrown player rules.

I would like the league to be reasonably competitive with other so-called "good" leagues, but I don't need it to become a top league to vindicate my investment in it. If it ever becomes a mega league, the degree of accessibility us fans enjoy with the players, teams and league would disappear - and that's one of the things I like about MLS. If SGs think league-to-supporters relations are bad now, just wait to see what happens when the league reaches Big 4/EPL-level establishment. And I like that the tickets don't cost a ton.

My support is not an hourglass, contingent on giants leaps before the sand runs out. I've watched the league since the beginning and am happy to just have a league. If they can catch up to and keep up with Liga MX - I'd be happy with that benchmark. If it stays at the level it is at currently, I can live with that too - but, would obviously like to see refinement in the weaker aspects here and there.

My answer is YES. I would love to see the MLS become a top league. You have the facilities, as Alex Ferguson said on Manchester United's recent tour to the USA your training facilities are second to none. You have the sporting passion nationwide. You have a very strong and well respected coach education program. Soccer is the most played Sport in America until teenage years.

Now my thoughts on why the MLS wont ever be a top league. The best players in the World, in all respect, were brought up playing soccer on the street. There only expense was pretty much a ball and any item of clothing they could find to use as goals. I was brought up in England where it cost me 1 pound per week (approx $1.50). That included costs to play in state and national cup competitions. I was part of the best team in the North of England winning 3 county cups (state cup) and was a runner up in the national tournament. Again, costing $1.50 per week.

I currently coach at a competitive club where it costs $400 per season to play, plus uniform fees which is just over $100 for every two years. As a competitive club we are one of the cheapest in the state, some of our rival clubs cost anywhere from $1000-$2000 per season. Plus, as part of the uniform package you must buy your strip, a back pack, training jerseys, warm ups among other things costing well over $200! Soccer in America is excluding itself from so much of society and missing out on so much talent its actually quite incredible.

The MLS club (I wont name) in my state charges $1200 a season to play for their academy teams. How can an Academy charge you to play for them? Quite coincidentally, I have just watched an interview with Luis Suarez and as a child he could not afford cleats and had to wear tennis shoes playing for his academy side. Guess what, had it cost Luis Suarez $1000 a season he would not be a professional player now.

I could could go on and on about this issue. As long as soccer continues to be a business within America, your national team and the MLS will continue to suffer for many years!

I currently coach at a competitive club where it costs $400 per season to play, plus uniform fees which is just over $100 for every two years. As a competitive club we are one of the cheapest in the state, some of our rival clubs cost anywhere from $1000-$2000 per season. Plus, as part of the uniform package you must buy your strip, a back pack, training jerseys, warm ups among other things costing well over $200! Soccer in America is excluding itself from so much of society and missing out on so much talent its actually quite incredible.

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I coach a freshman HS team in an inner city school here in Houston and can concur that there is a tremendous amount of talent on the streets that goes untouched. But I have only been coaching for about 4 years now and have already seen a noticeable jump in talent coming through. The quality has increased every single season, so that is promising for the future. I think that this may be because the access to the professional sport via internet, tv deals, video games is far above what it has been in the past.

No. I want it to be a more prestigious league than it is now, with a fully developed reserve side, youth academies and a minimum salary that's higher . But I don't want it to be on par with the EPL. The things that make MLS so charming right now wouldn't translate to a league on par with the NFL. The players wouldn't be as accessible, season tickets would be much more expensive, which would negatively impact supporters groups, you'd have a lot more entitled-athlete personalities rather than the current just-happy-this-is-happening kind of guys.

I'd be pretty comfortable if the league settles in about where the NHL was before Gary Bettman got to it. Comfortably a fourth place sport in the US with a talent level comparable to somewhere around Ligue One in France (minus PSG's oil money).